Red Symbolism In Scarlet Letter

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The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter revolves around the meaning of Hester Prynne’s punishment for her sin of adultery in a Puritan society, which was to wear the scarlet letter. In the first chapter of The Scarlet Letter, the reader is introduced to Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl. Pearl is the product of Hester’s sin of adultery. The father of Hester’s child is the well-known and extremely loved priest of their town, Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale refused to come forward as the father and Hester is left to deal with their sin publically by herself. Hester’s punishment for her sin after giving birth in a prison is to wear a scarlet A on her breast so that everyone will know that she is an adulterer. The scarlet letter changes Hester’s life immensely. …show more content…
The color red can have many different meanings. Red, being the color of blood, can symbolize danger and power. It is also associated with love and desire ("Color Symbolism and Culture"). Hester’s scarlet A could be interpreted as a symbol for lust and desire. This can be associated with Hester’s act of adultery. She had a child by a man but this man was not her husband. Dimmesdale, the father of Hester’s daughter, refuses to come forward because he is afraid of the consequences. He could be killed for his sin, being a Puritan priest. Hester is forced to face the consequences of their wrongful act on her

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